Apparently, the Eastern side of the city simply became more and more expensive, and exclusive, the further you drove and around three to five minutes after passing by Gerald and Helga's neighbourhood, the black Mercedes was now entering the realm of a host of ridiculously expansive estates. Arnold wondered when Hillwood became so wealthy, it certainly wasn't bad back in the present day, but it seemed society had gone up several notches over the next decade and a half.

Gerald, who was sitting beside Arnold in the back seat, was paying no attention to the sights out the window and instead he was eyeing down the luxury vehicle they were now riding in for the second time that day. "This is an awesome car, future me!" he said in approval, after stroking the leather seats a few extra times.

"Thanks." his older self grinned in response, peering back at the kids through the rear-view mirror, "It was actually a wedding gift from Helga and, uh, her husband."

Arnold looked at younger Helga, who was still deeply frustrated by the entire concept of her future friendship with Gerald, "You brought a car for Geraldo?" she exclaimed in distaste.

Helga of the future simply smiled back at her younger self, "Sure, Hair Boy and his wife are my best friends."

Gerald and Helga, the ten year olds, immediately turned to each other with great annoyance, and the younger Gerald shook his head a little, "Promise me, Pataki, that we will never become best friends in the future."

"Ugh, agreed!" the younger Helga agreed more than happily, crossing her arms to make her point clear.

Arnold was rather disappointed in this, he was really liking the possibility of everybody getting along in the future and he would have hated for such a thing to be ruined simply because Helga and Gerald were pre-aware of the impending situation. "I think you two could get along just fine if you actually tried." he encouraged them.

However, his comment was met with something a little unexpected, and that was laughter from the future Helga and Gerald in the front seat of the car, who had exchanged a knowing look around about halfway through his sentence.

"Oh man, do you remember how many times we heard Arnold say that during sixth grade?" the older Gerald exclaimed.

Future Helga laughed and nodded, but then held up her hands a little, "Or in middle school, when you started dating, uh, you know, and I threatened to murder you in your sleep if you ever messed up." she reminded him.

"Yes!" future Gerald cried out, now laughing even harder, "Wow, the amount of times he tried to get us to sit down together and 'talk out our issues'!"

"And then I..." the older Helga squealed, barely able to talk between the fits of laughter, "I-I clocked you right in the nose!"

Shaking his head, but still laughing along, future Gerald said, "You gave me concussion, Pataki!"

"You see?" future Helga now said in the general direction of the backseat passengers, "Those are the reasons I owed Gerald a fancy car."

Neither the younger Gerald nor Helga seemed entirely convinced with that reasoning, or rather impressed by the stories they'd managed to learn in-between the giggling fits from the front seat, but since they didn't say anything right away, Arnold decided to simply change the subject.

"Wow, this place is... huge." Arnold breathed, looking up at the house situated at the end of the long paved driveway Gerald had just pulled into, and it appeared he must come here often, because a security scanner examined his numberplate and opened immediately.

Just as surprised by the lush green gardens, elaborate fountains and spacious mansion as Arnold had been, future Gerald asked with wonder, "This is Curly's house?" and in response he received a nod from his older self in the driver's seat.

"Guess being a lunatic paid off." the younger Helga muttered as they drew closer to the mansion, which in reality looked far more like an entire country club than a suburban residence.

"Hmmm, something like that." future Helga smirked, jumping out of the car as Gerald pulled it to a stop right in front of the grand staircase extending from the front doors.

Nobody, well none of the younger children, were paying much attention to what the older Helga was saying at that moment though, because somebody had opened the front door and was now on their way down to greet everybody. A woman, a thin one with shiny black hair and designer clothes, a women who was very clearly none other than Rhonda Wellington Lloyd.

Rhonda, by the looks of it, was immensely happy to see both Helga and Gerald, but more so Helga, because she wrapped the tall blonde woman in a bone-crushing hug the moment she reached her.

"Helga, darling, I have hardly seen you in over a week and I-" and then, her babbling stopped for a moment, as her eyes drifted down to three young faces, "Oh my gosh! It's the little versions of you!"

Arnold, just to ensure he wasn't completely insane, really had to check something right now, "Wait a moment, you said we were going to Curly's house..." he began slowly, earning nods from all three adults to continue, "So, if this is Curly's house, but it's also Rhonda's house..."

"Then that means that Rhonda and Curly are..." younger Gerald picked up from beside him, probably also wanting to ensure he hadn't gone completely mad.

"Married!" Rhonda squealed, immediately clearing that little fact up for everybody, as she motioned toward a sizable diamond on her left hand, "One year next month!"

Blank facial expressions covered future Gerald and Helga's faces, and Arnold was quite sure his own probably looked incredibly similar. In fact, they were probably wondering the exactly same thing he was, if maybe this was some elaborate joke.

Apparently not, because Rhonda called out blissfully, "Thaddeus!" into the open doorway, her voice echoing throughout the inside of the mansion, and within mere seconds Curly Gammelthorpe was standing behind her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Very, very interesting..." Curly mused as he looked down at the young children standing before him, their faces surely all displaying some kind of strange bewilderment.

First to break from the little trance that had been set in motion, was Helga, who could no longer hold in the hilarity, "Rhonda and Curly!" she exclaimed, practically doubling over in laughter.

Younger Gerald simply shook his head, "I tell ya, the future is a crazy place." he muttered, still too shocked to laugh.

"Oh, little Gerald darling, things change." Rhonda explained with a roll of her dark eyes, "Surely this was not as surprising as finding out th-"

"So, we're here for Curly's help!" future Helga swiftly interrupted whatever it was that Rhonda was about to say.

Rhonda, in return, flashed her a rather mischievousness smirk, "Oh, so we're keeping that one a secret are we. Fair enough." and then her face became serious again, "What did you require Thad's help with?"

Arnold noted that whatever disagreement, and possible tensions, had ensued from the Junior-year Harold debacle between the two was clearly water under the bridge, because they actually seemed to be rather close friends. In fact, the older Helga shot Rhonda an appreciative look for keeping whatever secret she was apparently hiding, and the focused her attentions back on the problem at hand.

"Actually, we need to know where to find the ducks in Hillwood." the future Helga explained, "If we find the ducks, we may be able to find the portal that'll get these kids back to their own time."

Curly flashed her a grin, "Ah, want them gone before tomorrow by any chance Helga?" he chuckled deeply, and was met with a firm look that suggested he quickly drop the topic and not expect an answer to his question.

Rolling his eyes at her, Curly went along with the silent demand, "Let me think, the ducks liked the fern tree in the park, I spent many afternoons there but then they cut it down, oh and shame on the governmental system for that!" he proclaimed wildly, then settled down once more and continued, "Recently, I have seen them at the pier but I must admit, I have not visited with the ducks in weeks, I have been at the zoo recently."

Arnold saw both Helga's let out a sigh and roll their eyes at him for the zoo comment and he assumed they were probably thinking something along the lines of 'twisted little freak' in their minds right at that very moment.

"Oh, well, Lila works at the pier, you could ask her." Rhonda suggested now, absolutely unfazed by Curly's outburst, or his continued obsession with the zoo, and presumably freeing the animals from it. Arnold supposed they really must have been married, and Rhonda must have loved him an awful lot, which was nice actually now he thought about it a little.

Future Helga pursed her lips together, giving a slight shake of her head at Rhonda's suggestion, "I was hoping to avoid visiting Lila, for obvious reasons..."

Apparently, future Gerald was equally as concerned with the situation, "I know Helga, it's not ideal but I don't think we have any other choice." he reasoned with her, grimacing a little.

"Right." future Helga sighed, motioning toward the car, "Back in the car everyone, looks like we're taking a trip to the peir."

Arnold was starting to get a little curious about all this secrecy, the Helga of the future seemed to not be telling them something, and most of the time future Gerald seemed to be just as evasive. Not that he felt any certain right to know about their lives, or their future, but it was all becoming rather unnerving. And, furthermore, as they now shuffled back into Gerald's black Mercedes Helga, the younger one, looked absolutely terrified and maybe equally as sad.

What on earth was she so afraid of?